Takeoffs and Landings
by WeasleyForMe
Summary: Hermione finds out there has been an addition to the O.W.L. exams… a mandatory flying test. The only trouble is Hermione doesn’t know how to fly! George agrees to give her lessons. Will she learn how to fly, or will she fall hard for George Weasley?
1. Chapter 1

**_Takeoffs and Landings by WeasleyForMe_**

**_Hermione finds out there has been an addition to the O.W.L. exams... a mandatory flying test. The only trouble is Hermione doesn't know how to fly! George agrees to give her lessons. Will she learn how to fly, or will she fall hard for George Weasley? Hermione/George_**

_::Ok, here it is... my first attempt with actual chapters. I hope you enjoy it! Please read and review! Also, thanks to HermioneTwin, carolina4800, nonhalema, AsanteSanaSquashBanana, remuslives, RubeusHagrid34, and ljaybrad for reviewing most of my one-shots! You rock!::_

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Chapter One

Hermione was a nervous wreck. There were only a few more weeks before the fifth year students had to sit for their O.W.L. exams. Hermione had been making outlines and rereading all of her texts almost nonstop. She was a top student, and she decided she would sit for seven exams at the end of the month. This added a lot of extra pressure to her already busy schedule. As if that wasn't bad enough, she had just received terrible news from her two closest friends.

"Hermione, did you know that they added a mandatory flying exam to the O.W.L.s this year?" Harry cautiously asked his friend one afternoon.

Hermione's face immediately turned a sickly white color.

Ron carefully added, "It's true. We just heard about it from McGonagall. You need to be able to maneuver a broom around an obstacle course. Plus it's timed."

This was the worst news she could imagine hearing right now. A _mandatory_ flying exam as a part of the O.W.L.s? Hermione had never learned how to properly sit on a broom, let alone fly one! She was doomed.

"I am _doomed_," she mumbled. "I can't fly. I couldn't even learn how to when I tried! I'm going to fail. I'll fail at life. Nobody will give me a job. Why in the name of Merlin is this now mandatory?!"

Hermione's voice was rising higher and higher.

"I'll ace all of my other exams, but I'll _fail_ at flying," she continued. "Fail! What am I supposed to do? Help me!" She was pale as she looked from one friend to the other with wild eyes.

Ron and Harry just looked at each other. "Well, we'd like to help you, 'Mione, but we haven't started studying for our own O.W.L.s yet," Harry said as gently as he could. "We need to learn charms, potions and transfiguration."

"Yeah, we're really sorry. Maybe someone else can help you?" suggested Ron.

Hermione glared at the two of them then stormed out of the common room and down to the library. Some best friends they were.

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Hermione was able to find a guide to O.W.L. examinations in the library and checked under the newest additions. Sure enough, the new testing program for this year included a basic flying course. Hermione let her head fall into her hands. This day couldn't get any worse. She sat in the library for awhile trying to think of a plan. Finally she pried herself out of her seat and began walking.

"Ok, who else knows how to fly?" Hermione asked herself out loud as she walked back to Gryffindor tower. "I've got Ginny, Angelina, Fred and George. Maybe someone will have mercy and teach me."

Hermione decided she'd ask Ginny first.

"Sorry, Hermione, I can't teach you," Ginny answered. "I lost all broom privileges last week when I turned Malfoy into a goat. You know I'd help you if I could." Truth be told, Hermione was rather proud of Ginny's revenge against Malfoy…too proud to be upset.

A slightly less hopeful Hermione decided she would ask Angelina next.

"I'd like to help you out, Hermione," Angelina told her, "But I really need to spend the time studying for my N.E.W.T.s. Ask Fred and George. They don't study."

That left Hermione with only two options… options she really didn't want.

She took a deep breath and went to locate the twins. This wasn't a difficult task, as they were making a monstrous amount of noise in the common room. They were "practicing" a volume enhancement charm designed for witches and wizards who were hard of hearing. The volume of everything they said was amplified to annoying proportions.

When they saw her coming, they said, rather loudly, "Hello Hermione!"

Everyone in the room turned to look at her as her entrance was obnoxiously announced.

"Hey, can I talk to you in private?" she asked.

"Of course," said Fred's horribly loud voice. "But what kind of _private_ conversation do you want to have with us? Have you come to ask for a snog? We'd be much obliged."

Hermione blushed and scowled. "Would you please stop using that charm? People can hear you. And I doubt Angelina would appreciate you announcing your intentions to snog other girls, Fred."

George's laughter boomed through the room before he cancelled the volumizer charms.

"I guess you're right… don't want to upset the misses," Fred replied in his normal voice with a grin.

"What do you need, Hermione?" George asked in a normal tone.

"Well, this is kind of embarrassing. You see, I just found out today that there has been a mandatory addition to the O.W.L. exams this year. We need to maneuver a broom through an obstacle course. And… I don't know how to fly," she whispered.

"What?" asked a very shocked Fred. "Something exists that you don't know how to do? I would never have believed it."

Hermione rolled her eyes and mumbled, "I knew this was going to be a bad idea."

George asked, "What does this have to do with us?"

This set Hermione off again as she quickly said, "I have no idea how to fly, and since it's mandatory, I have to do it, or else none of my other test scores will count! I don't know what else to do at this point, but I need someone to teach me how to fly. I didn't want to bother the two of you, and I already asked Ginny and Angelina, but they can't help me. I guess what I really mean to ask is…can either of you teach me how to fly in three weeks?" She finished her speech with a hopeful expression as she glanced between Fred and George.

There was no response right away. Hermione just knew they were both going to turn her down. She could tell by the look on Fred's face as he began to answer her.

"Well, Hermione, I'd like to help you, but you see," Fred began, until he was cut off.

"I'll do it," said George.

Hermione and Fred both turned to him and asked, "You will?"

"Yes," said George, calmly. "I'll help you learn how to fly in three weeks."

"Are you serious? I'll owe you something huge, I swear! This means so much to me!" Hermione exclaimed.

"You don't have to owe me anything," George replied.

"Of course I do!" she insisted.

"Well you won't do the _only_ thing I want from you, so don't worry about it," George told her with a wink.

Hermione's eyes narrowed as she asked, "George Weasley, what kind of girl do you think I am?"

Fred absolutely cracked up at this comment.

George just grinned as he said, "Get your mind out of the gutter, Granger. I merely meant that you won't drink polyjuice potion and take my exams for me, since that's all I'd want you to do. You're definitely not_that _kind of girl."

"Oh," said a very embarrassed Hermione. "Well, ok. Uh, when should we start flying?"

"What's wrong with tonight?" asked George with a smile.

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_Thanks for reading! More on the way!_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Takeoffs and Landings by WeasleyForMe_**

**_Hermione finds out there has been an addition to the O.W.L. exams... a mandatory flying test. The only trouble is Hermione doesn't know how to fly! George agrees to give her lessons. Will she learn how to fly, or will she fall hard for George Weasley? Hermione/George_**

_I don't own these characters._**_  
_**

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Chapter Two

An hour later, Hermione found herself out on the Quidditch pitch, somewhere she had never set foot before.

George smiled and handed her his Cleansweep Five broomstick as he said, "Ok, show me everything you know."

Hermione took it in her hands, but merely looked at the broom like it was Professor Umbridge with five heads. She turned her concerned gaze promptly up to George's face. He was smiling at her. How could he possibly be smiling at a time like this?

"Actually, George, this position that I'm in right now is really all I know," she told him with an irritated edge to her voice.

George was beginning to look a little concerned. "Are you serious? Surely you know how to summon the broom into your hand."

"I can't do anything related to a broom, except maybe sweep a floor," she returned with a smirk.

This was going to be much more difficult than George expected. He was definitely a natural on a broom, and he'd never dealt with someone on Hermione's skill level.

Hermione sighed. "Look, I already know how terrible I'm going to be, so if you turn me down now, I promise I won't be angry with you."

George was not one to turn down a challenge. He just shook his head, "Trust me, Hermione; I'll be able to teach you… I'm a natural," he said with a pompous air.

Hermione tried not to laugh at his comment, but he noticed the smile she was trying to hide at the corner of her lips.

"That's the spirit, Hermione! Laugh! You need to be relaxed before you start," he told her. But she wasn't laughing enough, so he did an impression of Ron trying to give a question an intelligent answer. That definitely got her to laugh.

"Ok, just lay my broom on the ground next to you," he said, and she did as she was told. "Now, stick your hand out over it. Then the last thing you need to do is command the broom to come up!"

Hermione stuck out her arm and said, "Up!"

Nothing happened. Hermione scowled.

"Now, I don't think the broom quite believed you. You really need to mean it. Be more forceful!" George told her.

"Up!" shouted Hermione.

The broom wiggled around a bit on the turf.

"George, I can't do it! The broom won't listen to me!" Hermione wailed and threw her hands in the air. "I'm going to fail all of my O.W.L.s!"

George walked over and pulled her into a soft hug. "You aren't going to fail anything, ok?" he whispered. "Try to calm down, and we'll do it again."

Hermione took a few deep breaths in George's light embrace. He felt warm and sturdy, and he smelled like soap and butterbeer, which was actually quite pleasant. Hermione found that she soon calmed down.

She pulled away from him, squared her shoulders and stuck her arm out again. George's smile compelled her to try her best.

"Up!" she commanded the broom. It immediately flew into her hand. Hermione looked completely shocked, which made George laugh. Soon her shock turned into a brilliant smile.

The, Hermione squealed with delight which made George laugh even more.

"Perfect! You will receive full marks for today's lesson, Miss Granger," lectured George in his best McGonagall impression.

Now Hermione was jumping up and down while she hugged the broom. She put it back on the ground and magically commanded it into her hand over and over.

"_Wow_," thought George. "_I've made her so happy just by spending an hour helping her do this._"

"George, are you seeing this? I can do it!" she was saying with a huge smile.

"Yes, I see! But we should really call it a night," George said as he watched the sun set. "It's getting dark, and you should get some rest before the really hard part."

"It gets harder?" Hermione asked as her smile disappeared.

"Yes, it gets harder, but I know you'll be able to do it in time," he assured her. "Don't stop smiling. You look adorable when you smile."

"_Shit. Did I really just say that?_" thought George. His face was beginning to turn pink from embarrassment.

"_Did he just say what I think he said? Of course he did… he's a gigantic flirt,_" thought Hermione.

"Right, well… let's get back inside," George said lamely.

When they got back to the common room, Hermione told Harry and Ron all about how amazingly she managed to summon the broom into her hand. Unfortunately, neither of them looked very impressed.

"Hermione, you do realize that's the easiest part, right?" Harry asked cautiously.

"Yeah, the rest is going to be impossible if you thought that much was a big deal," Ron added, throwing caution to the wind.

"This _is_ a big deal to me, Ronald," Hermione told her friend. Suddenly she wanted to cry. She immediately left them and went up to her room.

George had overheard the three of them, and for some reason he felt just as angry as Hermione now was. Why wouldn't her friends encourage her in this?

He walked over to them. "Can't the two of you at least _try_ to be supportive?" George asked Ron and Harry.

Ron smirked, "I can't believe you of all people are even wasting your time on her. She's hopeless on a broom."

George wanted to strangle Ron. "You should have seen her today. She did a fantastic job. And by the time O.W.L.s roll around, even your jaw will drop. Try not to be so thick."

With that, George left Ron and Harry shaking their heads.

Meanwhile, Hermione was in her room trying to hide her tears from Lavender and Parvati. She didn't want the whole of Gryffindor House to know that she had been crying, which wouldn't be easy when she shared a room with two gossipy girls. While Hermione hid in her bed, she thought about Ron and Harry. She had spent an endless number of hours helping the two of them study for exams. She was their biggest cheerleader during Quidditch matches. She helped them whenever they needed help. And what did she get in return? Nothing. They wouldn't even acknowledge that she was trying something new. They should have been proud of this! As her tears dried, she felt very tired. She fell asleep with thoughts of George on her mind.

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_Thanks for reading! Please review... I love reviews! More will be posted soon! _


	3. Chapter 3

**_Takeoffs and Landings by WeasleyForMe_**

**_Hermione finds out there has been an addition to the O.W.L. exams... a mandatory flying test. The only trouble is Hermione doesn't know how to fly! George agrees to give her lessons. Will she learn how to fly, or will she fall hard for George Weasley? Hermione/George_**

_I don't own these characters, but they are really fun to play with._**_  
_**

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Chapter Three

"Ok, I'm ready now," Hermione said. Then she started laughing again. "Stop it George, I can't concentrate!"

It was time for Hermione's second flying lesson. Hermione and George were out on the Quidditch pitch on Friday after classes let out. She was trying to do a repeat performance of summoning the broom into her hands, but George was lying in the grass, making faces and distracting her.

"Come on, Hermione! We don't have all day," he called up to her as he made a ridiculous face.

"You are entirely too distracting! If you weren't being so helpful, I might have to give you a detention!" she shot back.

"You're all talk, Granger. Now just show me what you can do," George said as he stood up.

Hermione glared at him as she successfully summoned the broomstick. After a few tries, George was confident they could move on to more advanced techniques.

"You're doing great, Hermione," he told her. He knew that her best friends weren't being supportive, so he'd have to be a substitute for them. "Now you are going to try sitting on the broom and kicking off."

Hermione looked a little wary as she held his Cleansweep. She took a deep breath, "This is the scary part."

George showed her how to properly sit on the broom and where she would be comfortable for her height. "Give me your left hand," he said as she slipped her small hand into his. Her skin was so soft and she looked so sweetly enthralled. He put her hand in the proper location.

"What do I need to do with my other hand?" she asked.

"You'll learn later how to steer with your right hand, so for now just place it on the top of the broomstick. Ready to kick off?" he finally asked.

Hermione turned to him and asked very quietly, "Maybe you could show me first?"

George smiled at her shyness as he took the broom from her. "Sure, watch me."

Hermione watched him alright. She watched his smooth motion as he took the broom, kicked off and casually flew a low lap around her. She couldn't take her eyes off him actually. He was downright delectable. All this flying reminded her of Quidditch, witch reminded her of the way George would get sweaty during matches, and the way his jersey would cling to his muscular frame.

"Ready?" he asked.

She almost forgot what she was doing.

He handed her the broom. "You need to kick off now; it's the next step." Hermione shook off the last bit of her daydream and took the broom. She was still hesitant, so he promised he would stay very close by, ready to use a cushioning charm in case she fell.

"Ok, I'm going to do it now," she told him. "Right now. I'm going to kick off. I'm going to fly. Ready? Make sure I don't fall, ok? I'm really going to do it… right now."

"Do it, Hermione!" George urged while he shook his head.

Finally Hermione sucked in a huge breath and kicked off of the ground. She was thrilled and terrified at the same time; it was the most exhilarating and yet the scariest thing she'd ever felt. She was free, but completely reliant on the broom. She finally looked down and realized that she was three feet off the ground. Oh god, she was three feet off the ground!! Hermione started to freak out.

"Ahhh!" she screeched. She felt herself tumbling off the broom toward the turf.

"Oof!" grunted George. He caught her in his arms while his broom hovered nearby.

"That was the scariest thing I've ever done!" Hermione whispered in George's ear as she clung to his chest. His very solid chest.

"Hermione, you have fought a giant troll, faced a werewolf and dated an international Quidditch celebrity. Are you sure that's the scariest thing you've ever done?" he asked as he held her close.

"Positive," she assured him as he set her down. She immediately regretted losing the warmth of his arms around her.

"Well regardless, you did really well! You stayed up there for about five seconds!" he tried to reassure her.

"George, there's something else I didn't tell you," said with her eyes closed. He waited for an answer. "I'm afraid of heights."

"Oh," George replied. George thought about this for a moment. This was going to be a problem, but he didn't want to let her know that. "Well in that case Miss Granger, we will just have to cure you of this fear."

Before Hermione had a chance to react, George had scooped her up onto the broom with him and he kicked off. They were barely off the ground, but Hermione had managed to wrap her entire body around his.

Not that George didn't like this feeling, but he thought he should try to make her comfortable on the broom. "Ok, Hermione, you need to calm down. We aren't moving, and I won't move us until you relax..."

She managed to open her eyes and lessen her death grip on him. George helped her turn around on the broom so she was sitting right in front of him, facing forward, and protected by his arms. Her breathing began to return to normal. "I guess this isn't so bad. It's not really that high."

George wanted to point out the fact that he would be able to touch the ground if he straightened his knees, but thought better of it. "Right, now that you've calmed down, I think we should move forward a bit."

Hermione liked the feeling of George's voice reverberating through her body as he was talking to her and calming her down. But as soon as George eased the broom forward through the air, Hermione thought she was going to faint.

"It's ok, relax. You're going to be fine. I'm right here," George cooed near her ear.

George managed to slowly fly them around the Quidditch pitch for a few laps. During the first lap, Hermione was still quite tense. By the second lap, she was able to answer his simple questions. By the third lap, George was able to get her to laugh at a joke. By the fourth lap, he had convinced her to try to steer them.

"Just focus and go with your instincts," he whispered to her. "You don't need to be forceful, just guide the broom where you want it to go."

Hermione concentrated on his voice, and she found she was actually quite good at steering them. She was almost beginning to have fun by the fifth lap. Then George's soft voice and breath began to drive her crazy by the sixth lap. It was at that point that she asked him to end the lesson, before she said something to embarrass herself.

"George, it's getting late. We should go in," she said. And with that he guided them to a soft landing.

"Hermione, are you free tomorrow?" George asked with a smirk as they walked back to the castle.

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_Thanks for all the reviews so far! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_


	4. Chapter 4

**_Takeoffs and Landings by WeasleyForMe_**

**_Hermione finds out there has been an addition to the O.W.L. exams... a mandatory flying test. The only trouble is Hermione doesn't know how to fly! George agrees to give her lessons. Will she learn how to fly, or will she fall hard for George Weasley? Hermione/George_**

_I don't own these characters. Thanks for reading!!_

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Chapter Four

The next morning was Saturday which included Quidditch practice for George. He managed to talk Hermione into watching the team practice so she could see some firsthand techniques for taking off, landing, and steering. She was the only person sitting on the bleachers by the pitch waiting for the Gryffindor team to come out.

Hermione's mind wondered back to the previous afternoon. George was almost always in her thoughts recently. They were quickly becoming better friends, and she was very happy about this. He was a great teacher, and he had an amazing sense of humor. Plus he was easy on the eyes.

She pulled her thoughts back to the present as the team came out of the locker room. Harry was the first one in the air, flying at amazing speeds trying to warm up his broom. Then the chasers joined him and began to throw the quaffle around. Finally she saw George, and her face erupted into a smile as he turned and winked at her.

"He's really quite amazing, isn't he? You're a lucky girl, Hermione," came a voice from behind Hermione, making her jump.

"Oh! Professor!" she said as she spun around. Professor McGonagall was also attending her houses' practice session this week. "What do you mean, I'm a lucky girl?" Hermione asked as she blushed.

"I meant you're lucky to have Mr. Potter as such a good friend, dear," Professor McGonagall replied.

Hermione thought for a second that her teacher saw her ogling George. As she stood up and made her way to sit by her teacher, Hermione replied, "Yes, I guess I am." Hermione and her Transfigurations professor chatted on and off while they watched the team.

Throughout the practice match, George would occasionally turn and make a face or wink at Hermione. She tried to ignore him and concentrate. She watched everyone on the team and took note of the ease with which they maneuvered their brooms. It kind of bothered her that George was making a fuss over her from a distance, but Harry and Ron hadn't noticed she was there at all. She chalked it up to George being older and more mature than the others. And after all, he did invite her.

After the practice ended, George made his way over to the stands to talk to Hermione and Professor McGonagall instead of heading directly to the locker room with his team.

Hermione immediately froze. There he was, all sweaty and hot with his jersey clinging to his muscles. Her throat went dry. She couldn't stop staring.

"Hello Professor McGonagall," George said as she stood to make her way to talk to the other team members. After she was out of hearing range, he turned to Hermione. "Like what you saw?" he asked while his green eyes sparkled.

"Wha-What?" she responded like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

He chuckled. "I'm merely curious. Did you learn anything new?"

"Uh, yes!" she squeaked. "I noticed the way everyone was steering their brooms. And I think that if I kick off harder to begin with, it would be less scary than if I just kind of hover over the ground."

"Great, we can try that this week. I need to get to the locker room for the speech from McGonagall. But one more thing," he said with a gin. "I'm determined to cure you of your fear of heights. Meet me on the astronomy tower at eleven tonight."

And with that, he was gone across the turf toward the locker room, leaving Hermione with a head full of inappropriate thoughts.

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Hermione spent the remainder of the day in the library doing homework. She only emerged for an hour for dinner, and then she returned to the library. She could barely concentrate on anything except George. Her mind wondered to their plans for later that evening. He said he would cure her of her fear of heights. All she thought of was how tall the astronomy tower is. Her stomach was already tying itself in knots.

Then suddenly Angelina took a seat next to her. In a hushed 'library' voice, she said, "I heard you have a date with George tonight."

Angelina giggled as Hermione's jaw dropped.

"No, I do _not_," replied Hermione as quietly as her shocked voice would go.

"But Fred said George is taking you up to the astronomy tower _after_ curfew. That sounds a little bit 'friendlier' than a friend, don't you think?" Angelina asked with a wink.

"Oh, please, you're as bad as Fred!" Hermione told her. "It's not a date!"

"Come on, Hermione. I saw you watching him at practice this morning. Something is going on here, and I want to know the truth, before Fred starts making up stories for fun," Angelina pleaded.

"Ok, the truth is that _nothing_ is going on. George agreed to help me learn how to fly for my O.W.L. exams. That's it," she told Angelina.

"It still sounds a little bit… extra-curricular to me," Angelina replied with a grin. "Plus George couldn't take his eyes off of you during practice, now could he?"

Hermione blushed as Angelina left the library. Perhaps she should go back to her dorm room now and get ready… in case this turned out to be something more than she considered.

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At eleven that evening, Hermione was waiting impatiently on the astronomy tower. She had barely been able to make it there with Mrs. Norris prowling through the hallways. Before that, she had a small run-in with Peeves. And before that, Angelina gave her a knowing look as she emerged from her room wearing new pants and a modestly revealing shirt. She had even taken time to apply some Sleekeazy to her hair. Now she was going to feel ridiculous if George showed up in his pajamas or something.

She didn't have to wait long. Just then she heard the door at the bottom of the tower open then close again. With only the bright moonlight illuminating everything around her, she waited to make sure it was George. She was relieved when she saw a red head appear in the moonlight, and George's bright smile.

She smiled back as she noted that he brought his broom with him.

George froze as he looked at her. "Wow, you look bloody amazing." Hermione laughed at his comment and the expression on his face. George tried to hide his blush as he rubbed his neck and sneaked another peek at Hermione.

"I brought my broom, and uh, I planned to take you for a flight, if that's alright with you," George responded uncertainly. He was having a difficult time speaking and thinking. He was sure it was the way Hermione looked that had him baffled. She looked amazing. Her hair was shining in the moon glow, and her shirt was revealing more of her than he knew existed.

"That sounds like a good plan, as long as you're going with me," she whispered to him.

"Of course," George whispered back. "Give me your hand."

Hermione slipped her hand into his, and they walked to edge of the tower. George climbed up on the ledge, and turned to Hermione. She was shaking her head.

"Hermione, do you trust me?" he asked her gently.

"Yes, but I'm so afraid to climb up there," she answered very quietly.

George reached down and took her hand again. "Then just keep your eyes closed and I'll take care of you."

Hermione looked into his deep green eyes and knew she would be safe. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes. She felt George pull her up onto the ledge and wrap an arm around her waist. She sucked in a breath, and hoped George thought it was from the height and not his touch. She knew better than that though.

George managed to get Hermione and himself positioned on the broom without her freaking out. "Are you ready to fly?" he whispered.

Hermione, with her eyes still tightly closed, nodded her head briefly. George pushed them off of the tower's ledge, and they were flying.

"Oh no!" Hermione cried as she squeezed her eyes shut even tighter.

"We're fine; don't worry. Just try to relax and open your eyes when you can," George whispered as he steered them away from the tower. They were flying over the Quidditch pitch and edging closer to the Forbidden Forest. Hermione's breathing was becoming softer as George turned them in the direction of the lake.

When Hermione finally opened her eyes a bit, she saw the full moon reflecting off of the lake's surface and a velvety blue sky full of stars. The Forbidden Forest looked dark and restful, not as forbidding as usual. The castle was illuminated by the moon's radiance, and the tallest stone turrets cut into the velvet blue of the sky. Hermione felt George's arms holding her tightly in place and she smelled the fresh air that accompanies a late spring night. She heard the breeze in her ears and a few owls calling to each other. All of her senses were mesmerized as they flew lower around the front of the castle.

"Wow," she whispered into the night. "This is the most amazing feeling."

George leaned in closer. "I'm happy you finally see it that way. There's nothing to be afraid of."

He was wrong though. There was a lot for Hermione to be afraid of. She was afraid that there wouldn't be enough time for her to learn how to fly for her exam in two weeks. She was afraid of taking her O.W.L.s. And she was afraid of her feelings for George. She was afraid that they wouldn't spend any time together after her lessons, and she was terrified that she was falling for him.

"Right," she said. "Nothing to be afraid of."

"Steer us. Show me what you learned today," George said as he removed his hands from the broom, forcing Hermione to take control. At first she was a little erratic with her motions, causing them to bump through the air. After a few laps around the castle, she was a becoming a master at maneuvering around the jutting stone buttresses of Hogwarts castle.

"It's getting very late," George whispered into her ear. "You're doing smashingly well with this exercise, but we need to get back to the astronomy tower."

She steered them toward the tower, but let George land them safely on the ledge. He held the broom while Hermione climbed down from the ledge then jumped down after her.

"Thanks, George," Hermione said with a bright smile. "I think that really helped."

George wanted nothing more than to pick her up and spin her around while kissing her squarely and persistently on her sweet lips, but he knew this wasn't the time. So he just smiled back. "So on Wednesday you'll be ready to practice kicking off and steering, right?"

"Why do we have to wait until Wednesday?" she asked as her smile faded.

"I have detention Monday and Tuesday nights this week. Apparently Filch doesn't appreciate fireworks indoors as much as I do," he replied with a sad look.

Hermione giggled. "I doubt anyone appreciates indoor fireworks as much as you do. Except maybe for Fred."

"Wednesday after classes?" he asked.

"See you then," she said as they silently made their way back to Gryffindor tower.

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_I hope you liked this chapter. More is coming soon. Please review!_


	5. Chapter 5

**_Takeoffs and Landings by WeasleyForMe_**

**_Hermione finds out there has been an addition to the O.W.L. exams... a mandatory flying test. The only trouble is Hermione doesn't know how to fly! George agrees to give her lessons. Will she learn how to fly, or will she fall hard for George Weasley? Hermione/George_**

_I don't own these characters. I hope you like this chapter!_

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_**

Chapter Five

At Hermione's lesson on Wednesday, George showed up to the Quidditch pitch looking tired and stressed out.

"What's wrong?" asked Hermione gently. "You look exhausted and irritable."

"I know," he grumbled. "Girl problems," he said as he rolled his eyes.

Hermione's heart fluttered and sank down to her toes. He was having girl problems…with another girl….one that he actually liked.

"Oh, that's not good," Hermione mumbled with a frown and absolutely no enthusiasm. "I hope everything works out."

"Yeah, me too. She's causing me to lose sleep," he said as he handed Hermione his Cleansweep. "She does this all the time, and I never get to hear the end of it. I've honestly been up all night for two nights now, because there's not enough time in one day to sort everything out."

Hermione just frowned and nodded. She couldn't believe that George was dating someone else when she was beginning to really like him.

George turned to her and rubbed his eyes. "Honestly, it's like every time Fred and Angelina get into a fight, I'm the one who has to straighten it all out. Fred kept me up talking about her _all_ night, and I just wanted to sleep," he said with a yawn.

Hermione immediately perked up. "You're talking about Angelina? You mean its Fred's girl problems?"

"Yeah, but I always get shoved into the middle of it," he replied. "That's what you get when your twin is dating someone who is too similar to him."

Hermione smiled and started to laugh. He wasn't talking about himself, for which she was very happy.

"What's so funny?" he asked somewhat skeptically. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No! There's nothing on your face, except for freckles, but they look perfect. I thought you were talking about something else," she replied with a smile. "Anyway, I'm ready to kick off today." She felt much better knowing that George's girl problems stemmed from Fred and Angelina.

"Go for it," he said with another yawn and a smile.

Hermione summoned the Cleansweep into her hand on the first try and positioned herself to kick off. This time she kicked off with much more poise than the previous week, although she couldn't help but remember that last time she ended up in George's arms.

"It worked!" she shouted. "I kicked off higher, and it was much easier," she exclaimed from about five feet in the air. The broom was a little bit shaky with her slightly unsteady hands on it, but she was definitely in the air on her own.

"Sweet! You did it!" George shouted up to her with a grin. "Now to initiate forward motion, just lean toward the front of the broom a slight bit. Not too much, or you'll start to go too fast."

Hermione leaned forward a bit, but the broom barely moved. When she leaned forward some more, the broom shot through the air a little bit too much. She screamed and sat up stick-straight. She screamed again as she came to an abrupt stop.

George ran after her and was next to her again. "Are you ok?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah, it's a bit touchy," he continued, "but all brooms are different. It'll be good practice for you to get used to the way mine flies."

Hermione leaned slightly forward again and flew very slowly around the stadium. She tried to gain some more speed after a few minutes and was pleased that she didn't fall or stop abruptly. She even tried to steer with one hand. That went well at first, but when she was heading dangerously close to the bleachers and George yelled to her, she put two hands on the broomstick. She steered herself back to the center of the pitch where George was standing.

"Oh, bollocks! Now I have to land on my own, because you aren't up here with me!" she said with shock at this sudden realization.

"Hermione! Watch your language!" he reprimanded. "I'm very sensitive."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help laughing. His ears couldn't possibly be sensitive to cursing having grown up with five brothers.

"George, focus! How do I get down without breaking my legs?" she asked him.

George just looked up at her warily and said, "Did I mention I'm not liable for any damage that may be inflicted on your body during these lessons?"

Hermione looked a little scared as she said, "You're joking, right? Am I really going to get hurt dismounting?"

"Of course I'm joking," replied George with a bright smile. "Did you forget who you were talking to? Now just push down lightly on the front of the broomstick until you are close enough to reach the ground with your feet."

Hermione gently eased the broom toward the ground, but ended up tilting toward the right. She tried her best to make a landing on one foot, but somehow she was tipped over too far. Once again George was there to keep her on her feet.

She managed to fall, shoulder first, into George's chest. He held onto her tightly as she regained her footing. "Are you trying to kill me?" he asked, but he didn't let go of her.

"Honestly, I'm not so large that I'm going to smother you," she quipped. "Actually, if anything, I'm keeping you on your toes."

"I still think you'll be the death of me," he whispered, but he didn't let her go. She looked into his smiling eyes and the corner of his mouth quirked up in a smile. He looked so kissable. She wanted to reach up and brush his hair out of his eyes then pull him toward her. She was about to when they were interrupted by the sound of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team arriving for their practice session.

George reluctantly let go of Hermione and reached for his broom. "Guess we should go then," he said as the team members took flight. Once again they walked back to the castle thinking about each other, but saying nothing of it.

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Hermione and George barely saw each other until Friday. She was sitting in the common room making an outline for Ancient Runes when George quietly sat down next to her. She didn't notice his presence right away. She was adamantly trying to finish her work, and he spent the time studying her features. She was really quite pretty in the way that she didn't need to wear makeup or do hair charms in order to look cute. She was just cute on her own. George liked how she was so much smaller than him; her hands fit perfectly into his, and she was petit but curvy. He was surprised, but happy that Ron hadn't gone after her with all of his Weasley tenacity. Suddenly he noticed that she was looking back at him.

"Hi," he said with a lopsided grin.

"How long have you been sitting here? I just noticed you," she said with a smile as her heart fluttered.

"Only a minute," he replied.

"You look much livelier today," she told him.

His only response was a nod of his head in the direction of one of the loveseats. Hermione turned to look in that direction and saw a delighted looking Fred with Angelina kissing him and playing with his hair.

Hermione chuckled. "I see," she said as she turned back to George.

"Yeah," George said. "They finally made up, so Fred has stopped whining to me all night. That's not why I'm here though. Your flying exam is a week from tomorrow, right?"

"Yes. That's an awful lot sooner than I want to think about right now," she responded.

"Well you've still got some things to learn. Feel like sneaking out past curfew again tonight?" he said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"You're a terrible influence on me!" she scolded him. He responded by making a pathetically sad face of rejection.

"Fine, I'll do it," she responded, and he went back to smiling.

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_Thank you! Please review!_


	6. Chapter 6

**_Takeoffs and Landings by WeasleyForMe_**

**_Hermione finds out there has been an addition to the O.W.L. exams... a mandatory flying test. The only trouble is Hermione doesn't know how to fly! George agrees to give her lessons. Will she learn how to fly, or will she fall hard for George Weasley? Hermione/George_**

_I don't own these characters. Thanks for reading!!_

_------------------------------------------------------------------ _

Chapter Six

Hermione met George atop the astronomy tower again that night after another run-in with Mrs. Norris. This time Hermione was only able to get away from the cat by sending a spell down a corridor and knocking over a suit of armor as a distraction. George was already on the tower waiting for her. She silently took the hand he offered and they climbed up onto the ledge. Wordlessly, they sat on the broomstick with Hermione in front of George.

"You're in charge tonight," he whispered as he gave her full reign of the broom. His voice sent a burning hot chill down her back.

She kicked off of the ledge, but it was more difficult with the weight of two people on the broom. They went into the air a bit crooked at first, and she had to scramble to straighten them out. George left all of the maneuvering up to her, and made no move to help her with straightening them. Instead he wrapped his arms around her waist. Hermione was thrilled by his soft touch. Her thoughts were running wild. "_He's touching me! Focus on flying… focus on flying… focus on George's muscular arms. No! Flying! Focus."_

She was taking them in circles around the castle which was once again illuminated by the moon. She was trying to practice changing her speed from very slow to as fast as she could go. She thought it was safer to practice this while George was on the broom with her.

"Is it alright to fly over the lake?" she asked George. She turned her head a bit to face him and noticed she was nose to nose with him.

He smiled and whispered, "Anything you want." Hermione could practically feel his lips move. She began to lose her grip on the broom. Just as they dropped a few feet in the air, she whipped her head back around and regained control. Her heart was pounding and her face was burning. She planned a course toward the lake and took deep breaths.

George was also in need of a few deep breaths. "_What exactly is going on here?_" he thought. "_I can't even think straight when she's this close. I think I'd be able to concentrate if I could just kiss her and get it out of my system, but she'd probably kill me. And this is definitely neither the time nor the place._"

Hermione flew directly across the lake then zigzagged along the shore for awhile. She was gaining confidence on the broom and was doing well as long as she avoided thoughts of George's lips. Soon, it was beginning to get cloudy and it was no doubt very late. Hermione flew them back up to the top of the tower and demonstrated a perfect landing. She turned around and handed the broom to George while she beamed.

"Admit it," she said with her hands on her hips. "I'm getting pretty good."

He sighed and nodded his head. "It's true. You are indeed. In fact, I think we should try an obstacle course next time."

"Actually, I'm not really all the good. Perhaps we shouldn't do that yet," she said to try to dissuade him from his decision.

"No, you said it yourself," he said while trying to hide a grin. "You're much too good now to _not_ learn an obstacle course. How about Sunday after lunch?"

"Sounds good," Hermione whispered. She was thinking of what could have happened when they were interrupted on the Quidditch pitch. Then she leaned toward George. She wasn't sure why she did it. Maybe it was her newly found confidence on the broom, or maybe it was because he looked so damn cute, but something compelled her. She stood on her toes and kissed George on the cheek.

"Thanks again," she whispered as she turned and ran down the steps.

George was left standing on the tower alone with a silly smile on his face.

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The following day, George woke up and did something very strange. He went to the library. He barely remembered how to get there, since he'd only been there a handful of times, and once he arrived, it took him awhile to find the correct section. Finally, he found the manual for the O.W.L. level flying exam. He took the book over to a seat. After skimming the flying section, he figured out the type of obstacle course Hermione would need to fly through for her test. He made a mental note of the different materials he would need to find.

He looked across the library and saw Hermione talking with Angelina. He was temped to eavesdrop on their conversation but remained in his seat with the book.

"I heard you met him again last night after curfew," Angelina whispered across the table to Hermione. They were both studying for charms exams.

"How did you hear about that?" Hermione asked as she looked up.

"Fred told me that George came in late again last night," Angelina said with a slight smirk. "I get the feeling nobody is getting the full story from either of you."

Hermione blushed as she remembered kissing George's cheek the previous night. "There is really nothing more to say than George is kindly helping me learn how to fly."

Angelina narrowed her eyes. "Whatever you say. Just tell me one thing. Why is George in the library?"

Hermione spun around in her seat to see George approaching them with a book. "_Gods he looks good in those clothes. Why am I thinking these things?!?!_"

"Good morning, ladies," George greeted them as he took a seat next to Hermione. "How are we today?"

"Fine!" screeched Hermione before Angelina could say something embarrassing, but it was too late.

"George, you're looking awfully well for someone who stays out past curfew," Angelina told him. Hermione turned red again.

"What can I say? Some people just look good all the time," George said as he shrugged. "Anyway, Hermione, I found this book that tells what type of obstacle course the test is built around. You'll definitely need to practice on a course for the next week."

"Fine. I'll sign that book out and take it with me. I'll be sure to read it before tomorrow," Hermione told him.

"Wow, they let you sign the books out? This library place is really helpful," George said with a mystified look on his face.

Angelina and Hermione both cracked up, and the three of them earned a nasty look from Madam Pince.

"Yes, George, that's generally the purpose of the library. It has an informative nature," said Angelina bringing George up to date.

"Whatever…I need to get going. This place is bad for my image," George replied as he stood. "See you tomorrow, Hermione."

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_I hope you enjoyed it! Please review! _


	7. Chapter 7

**_Takeoffs and Landings by WeasleyForMe_**

**_Hermione finds out there has been an addition to the O.W.L. exams... a mandatory flying test. The only trouble is Hermione doesn't know how to fly! George agrees to give her lessons. Will she learn how to fly, or will she fall hard for George Weasley? Hermione/George_**

_I don't own any of these characters :( _

_----------------------------------------------------- _

Chapter Seven

"I can't do that! I'll end up killing myself if I try!" exclaimed Hermione the following afternoon. She had arrived at the Quidditch pitch to see the obstacle course George had set up for her. It included hoops, poles and spikes.

"You aren't going to kill anyone, and you'll _need_ to do this during the test," George reminded her. "Do you want me to go through it once while you watch?"

"You can bet your wand I do! Then after that you're riding through once with me!" she shrieked.

George hopped on his broom and took off through the course. He glided through a set of hoops which were all different sizes. Then he wove through a set of spikes that were sticking out of the ground in a similar fashion to muggle traffic cones. Next he alternated flying over and under long bars which were parallel to the turf. Then he flew three times around a pole and went back through the course. He was done in a matter of two minutes.

George landed next to her. "Ready?"

Hermione's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me? You made that look so easy. I won't be able to do it! I'll only be allowed five minutes and one chance on the day of the exam!"

"Well, I can guarantee that's all you're going to need. You're really improving. All you'll need to work on is getting your time lower than five minutes," he reassured her.

Hermione took a few breaths and climbed on the broom with George. She kicked off the ground and listened to him explain the general order of events of the course. She slowly flew through the course listening to his instructions and following his guidelines. His voice was once again beginning to sooth and excite her at the same time. She couldn't concentrate on flying with George touching her, and she knew she needed to.

After she flew through once with George, she told him, "I think I'll be able to concentrate more if I just do it on my own."

George hopped off the broom and Hermione took off through the course again. She had a much clearer head without George on the broom, plus she was able to maneuver better. On her first try, Hermione made it through in about eight minutes, but she hit a few poles.

"This is ridiculously hard and very frustrating!" she called down to George as she landed.

"But you're looking great so far!" he exclaimed with a smile. Hermione's heart melted.

"I don't know what to do to get going any faster," she called to him. "Plus, I can't make it around those turns without hitting my legs on the poles."

George showed her how to tuck her body in against the broom and lean down to make herself move seamlessly though the air. When Hermione tried the obstacle course again, she took nearly a minute off of her previous time. When she landed this time, she was beaming with happiness.

"I think I just might be able to do this by Saturday after all," she told George who was casually leaning up against a pole.

"Told you," he replied with a wink.

"How did you get to be so good at flying, anyway?" Hermione asked.

George looked thoughtful for a minute. Then he replied, "Well, growing up was kind of crazy with six siblings. Bill was the oldest and most important. Charlie was always the responsible and athletic one. Percy was obviously the intelligent yet annoying one who got perfect marks in school. Ron and Ginny were the cute little ones, so that left me and Fred somewhere in the middle. We were the ones who always got into trouble. So Fred and I needed some way to spend our time that didn't involve constant punishments from our parents, or watching everyone dote on the others. We started taking Charlie's broom when he wasn't using it, and we taught ourselves how to fly."

"Which you are fantastic at, by the way," Hermione told him and he bowed ostentatiously. "And now you're teaching me. Thanks."

"There's no need to thank me, but you can help me pack up all these poles so we can get inside. It looks like rain," George said as the wind began to pick up.

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Hermione's high spirits from Sunday began to disintegrate. It was now Wednesday evening and it had been steadily raining for three days. She hadn't been able to take George's broom out, and her test was on Saturday. George noticed how upset Hermione was beginning to look, and he was trying to think of some way she could practice indoors.

"I've got it!" George said as he was sitting in his dorm room.

"Got what?" Fred asked.

"I just thought of a way that Hermione can practice flying indoors!" George told his twin.

"George, surely you do realize we've all been hearing a lot of 'Hermione this' and 'Hermione that' recently," Fred told him. George just frowned back at him.

"Yeah, well I've been teaching her how to fly. We've been seeing a lot of each other. What difference does it make?" asked George.

"I just wanted to know when you're going to come clean and tell the girl that you fancy her," Fred asked casually.

"What are you talking about, Forge? There's honestly nothing going on like that," George said as he blushed slightly.

"I don't believe you," was Fred's reply.

"Well, believe it! I mean, Hermione has shown up to our practice sessions looking entirely adorable each time, and I've been able to completely behave myself. Plus we just spend most of the time talking about things. Nothing is going on," George confirmed.

"That's bollocks. You must really like her if you spend time talking to her and haven't tried to snog her yet. You also just said she looks cute all the time, and I'm starting to get nauseated from watching her practically drool over you. Just do something about it already," Fred said with finality.

George just glared at him and went to tell Hermione how she would be able to practice inside.

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_Thanks for all of the reviews so far... if you all behave, I might just post the next chapter today! ;_


	8. Chapter 8

**_Takeoffs and Landings by WeasleyForMe_**

**_Hermione finds out there has been an addition to the O.W.L. exams... a mandatory flying test. The only trouble is Hermione doesn't know how to fly! George agrees to give her lessons. Will she learn how to fly, or will she fall hard for George Weasley? Hermione/George_**

_I don't own these characters... but it's fun to play with them!_

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _

Chapter Eight

George found Hermione in the common room. "I have the best idea, Hermione. You can practice indoors in the Room of Requirement."

"That's a fantastic idea, George!" Hermione exclaimed as she jumped out of her chair to give him a hug. A second later she pulled back with a guilty look on her face.

"Meet me there in an hour," he whispered as she returned to her seat.

George spent the next hour thinking about Hermione. George loved the feeling of holding her. Ever since their first lesson when she had fallen from the broom, he'd been thinking about her soft curves and how sweet she smelled. Fred was right. He did fancy Hermione. But how was he going to tell her this?

Hermione found that she couldn't concentrate on her work. She was too excited that she would be able to practice indoors. She only had a few short days left. Then she reflected on how far she'd come with her lessons. George had been wonderful, not to mention sweet and adorable. He had managed to make her less afraid of heights, and she wasn't too bad at flying…maybe one day she's actually be good. He'd spent so much time helping her when Harry and Ron wouldn't. What was she going to do when these lessons were over?

Hermione met George outside of the Room of Requirement after dinner. They paced back and forth in front of the wall and imagined a room in which Hermione could practice. A door appeared and they entered an enormous room with a high ceiling. An obstacle course similar to the one George had created took up most of the room.

"Hey, this is pretty sweet!" George said as he inspected the room and handed his broom to Hermione.

"I'm so happy you thought of this, because I was beginning to get frantic over not having enough practice time. I've really got to focus on getting under five minutes," she told George.

"Just remember to stay low to the broom. Now get up there and show me what you got," he told her with a wink.

"Ok, but don't be too shocked if I'm amazing," Hermione replied with a wink of her own as she kicked off.

"She really will be the death of me," George whispered out loud as he started the stopwatch.

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Hermione's practice on Wednesday went very well in the Room of Requirement. She found it was much easier to practice inside where there was no additional wind. She flew the course numerous times, until well past curfew. Angelina made sure to mention their late night as soon as she saw Hermione.

They returned on Thursday afternoon and were both surprised to find that Hermione's times were getting better and better. She was nearly down to five minutes.

By the time Friday evening came, Hermione was quite nervous. Her flying exam was in the morning, and the rest of her O.W.L.s would begin the following Monday. She was flying through the course while George timed her. She was determined to get one time under five minutes. Finally as she was finishing the course going as quickly as she could, George jumped up and yelled, "You did it! Under five minutes! You had fifteen seconds to spare!"

Hermione landed and jumped from the broom into George's arms.

"Yes! Finally!" she sighed happily.

George just held onto his precious Hermione and whispered, "I knew you could do it. You're going to ace this exam along with the other seven you're taking."

Hermione slipped out of his arms and smiled up at him. "Why are you being so sweet to me?" she asked in a quiet voice.

He mumbled, "Because you deserve it." Then he couldn't stand it anymore. He leaned down and kissed her lips. He pulled her closer and started to wrap his arms around her waist.

Hermione was shocked. "Oh, Merlin!" she gasped as she backed away.

George immediately dropped his hands to his sides, and his face looked completely guilty. "Oh, shit, I'm really sorry Hermione… I just got carried away," George said as he backed up slowly, his shoulders slumped dejectedly.

Hermione's brain was screaming at her, "_He was kissing you! George kissed you!!! Why did you scare him away?! Get back over there!_" Hermione finally came to her senses, took four steps toward George and pulled him down into another kiss.

Now it was George's turn to be shocked. Hermione's fingers tangled in his hair and trailed down the back of his neck. She had her entire body pressed against his. She sighed against his lips, and George's brain stopped working altogether. All he could comprehend was her curly hair twisted around his hands and that everything smelled like vanilla. He started nibbling on Hermione's lips then trailed kisses down her neck.

"What are we doing?" she suddenly whispered.

George's brain, still too numb to communicate properly, knew _exactly _what they were doing, but he wasn't certain of the consequences of making out with her.

He mumbled, "I believe we are snogging, Hermione," as he pulled his lips away from her neck and looked into her eyes. "That's generally what two people do when they like one another."

She giggled. "Well, obviously. But why are you snogging me? I don't get it. You… well, you're great," she said uncertainly. "But I'm too bookish for you. I probably bore you to tears while I talk too much about school."

George just shook his head. "Fred was right. I must _really_ like you, because I actually enjoy talking to you. Except, right now I don't really feel like talking. Can we snog some more, please?"

Hermione threw her head back and laughed while she wrapped her arms around George's neck once more. She looked into George's eyes and said, "Only for a few minutes. It's after curfew already, and my test is very early in the morning."

"Well then, we'd better stop now, or else I'll keep you here all night. There will be plenty of time to snog after you pass your test," he said as he scooped up his broom. "Here, take my Cleansweep to your room with you, so you can use it for your test."

"Are you sure? I think they supply a broom for you if you don't own one," she told him.

"Take it, you'll be more comfortable on this one," he said as he handed it to her and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Now get back to the tower and get some sleep. But don't forget… you owe me more kisses tomorrow."

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_Yay! Aren't they sweet??! I hope you liked this chapter... I had to post it, because everyone was so well behaved! Please review if you like it. There is only one more chapter left! Thanks for reading!_


	9. Chapter 9

**_Takeoffs and Landings by WeasleyForMe_**

**_Hermione finds out there has been an addition to the O.W.L. exams... a mandatory flying test. The only trouble is Hermione doesn't know how to fly! George agrees to give her lessons. Will she learn how to fly, or will she fall hard for George Weasley? Hermione/George_**

_Here it is... the final chapter of my story! Enjoy!_

_-------------------------------------------------------------- _

Chapter Nine 

Hermione unenthusiastically woke on Saturday morning. She had hardly slept, because she was having nightmares about bludgers chasing her through an obstacle course while her broom was trying to bite her feet. She turned and looked at her clock.

"Shit! I'm going to be late!" Hermione screamed. She had scheduled herself to take the test with the first group. It was nearly eight o'clock, and her exam was to begin in a few minutes. Lavender and Parvati were already gone. She frantically grabbed some casual clothes and pulled her hair into a messy bun. Just as she magically tied her shoes, she grabbed George's Cleansweep and ran out of her dorm room.

As she sprinted toward the Quidditch pitch, she remembered the previous night. Hermione nearly tripped over her own feet as she recalled George kissing her and demanding that she save some time to snog him later today. She grinned wildly. Her goals for the day included passing her flying exam and then waking George up with a kiss. The thoughts of George immediately cheered her up, and she arrived on the pitch with a bright smile.

Her smile immediately disappeared when she saw the obstacle course. There were numerous large hoops, and spikes that looked very intimidating. She began to frown as she noticed the other students who were registered for her exam group. Draco Malfoy and his goon friends were standing on the other end of the pitch. Lavender and Parvati were wearing matching pink outfits and warming up with their brooms. Harry and Ron were standing near her and hadn't noticed her yet. She was surrounded by students who were excellent at flying. The referees and test-givers were beginning to call her classmates.

"Brown, Lavender," called an older wizard. Hermione watched as Lavender summoned her broom and began to fly gracefully through the course.

"Hey, Hermione," called Harry. "Ready for your exam?"

Hermione felt like ignoring her friends. She could barely speak, because she was so nervous but managed to say, "Yes, I suppose so."

"I hope you learned how to fly in the past few weeks, because before that, you were bloody terrible on a broom," Ron told her as he and Harry walked toward her.

Hermione glared at him as her grasp tightened on the broom. "It's so refreshing to see that you are the type of person who always supports his friends, Ronald," she hissed at him. "I'll have you know that I've been practicing during all of my free time. I _will_ pass this exam."

"Granger, Hermione," the wizard called. Hermione smiled a sickeningly fake smile at Harry and Ron before she rolled her eyes and jogged over to the starting line.

"Good morning young lady," the wizard greeted her. "Now, when you are ready, please put your broom on the ground, summon it into your hand and begin to fly. We will time you to make sure you stay within five minutes."

Hermione took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves before she set the broom on the ground. She closed her eyes briefly and tried to remember everything George had taught her. As she pictured his face in her mind, she heard his voice.

"You can do it, Hermione!" George called to her.

Hermione's eyes snapped open and she spotted George sitting at the top of the bleachers smiling and waving to her. He looked like he just woke up, and his hair was sticking up, but he was perfect to her. She finally began to smile again.

"Young lady, please begin your exam," the wizard said impatiently.

Hermione tried to suppress her happiness from seeing George and begin her test. She set the broom down and summoned it back into her outstretched hand. Then she positioned herself on the broomstick and got ready to kick off. She glanced over to George one more time. He stood up and started to do a ridiculous dance while chanting, "Go, Hermione! Go go, Hermione!"

She started to laugh as she kicked off. She was surprisingly relaxed as she started to fly through the obstacles. She pulled herself tight against the broom to make sure her legs wouldn't hit any rings. She could hear George cheering for her in the distance as she began to weave through the spikes. The obstacle course looked enormous, but she mentally tried to break it into smaller parts. She tried her best to move quickly and make precise turns. She focused on George's voice, and before she knew it, she reached the halfway point and spun around the pole three times. This made her slightly dizzy and she was moving a bit slower on the second half. Then she nicked her shoe on one of the spikes. It took all of her strength to pull the broom straight again. Hermione's heart was pounding so hard, she was wouldn't have been surprised if everyone on the pitch heard it.

"You're almost there! As fast as you can!" George called to her.

Hermione leaned almost flat against the broom as she gained speed and cut through the air. As she passed through the rings, she held her breath for the final descent. She needed to touch the ground on the other side of the line as quickly as she could. With George's voice echoing through her mind, she managed to land somewhat gracefully as she gripped the broomstick.

"Sir, did I make it in time?" she asked the referee wizard as her knees shook with anticipation.

George was in the stands holding his breath. He couldn't hear Hermione and the referee talking, so he was waiting to see Hermione's reaction.

"Miss Granger," the wizard began, "Your official time is four minutes and forty-one seconds. You pass with Exceeds Expectations."

Hermione squealed with delight as she jumped up and down, flailing George's broom through the air in her hand. The judges quickly backed away from her, fearful of her odd behavior. All of the other students had merely accepted their grades and left.

George finally let out the breath he had been holding when he saw Hermione jumping around. He quickly ran down the bleachers toward her. She turned and saw him coming down, so she headed toward him as the judges called the next student.

"I did it!" Hermione sighed breathlessly as George scooped her up into his arms. "I actually did it, George! I got Exceeds Expectations!"

George looked into her sparkling eyes, "I always knew you could. You looked fantastic up there."

"Why are you here, anyway?" Hermione asked him. "It's eight on a Saturday morning."

"I wouldn't miss this for anything," George whispered as he spun Hermione around. "You look pretty hot when you're flying my broom. Besides, you owe me another kiss."

Hermione giggled as she pressed her body against his. They managed to stop spinning around as Hermione's hands wrapped around his shoulders. George pulled her curls loose and let his fingers wander through her long hair. He leaned down and kissed her very gently as she sighed. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and his fingers splayed over her lower back. Hermione moaned lightly as his fingers made contact with her skin. After a few moments, Hermione surprised him by pulling him even closer and parting her lips. George loved the wet heat of her mouth overpowering his senses. After a few very pleasurable moments, George pulled away slightly.

"I should probably tell you… I'm crazy about you," he whispered. "Absolutely bonkers. And I can't be held responsible for anything crazy I might do unless you agree to be my girlfriend."

Hermione's only response was pulling George back down for another kiss as she whispered "Yes."

It was then that Ron charged over to them and loudly cleared his throat. Hermione let go of George and turned toward the intruder.

"Just what do you think you're doing, Hermione?!" Ron squeaked. "Don't tell me that you're so desperate for attention that you're kissing George! You have nothing in common with him… besides, you could have been with me!"

George, who was clenching his fists, was about to respond, but Hermione beat him to it. "Are you kidding me, Ronald?" Hermione snapped. "This has_ nothing_ to do with you. I happen to like George, and the feeling is mutual."

At this point Harry joined the trio and asked, "Um, Hermione? Now that you're done with this test, can you help me and Ron study for the rest of our O.W.L.s?"

"You're joking too, right?" Hermione growled. "Neither of you ever help me with anything. And besides, I currently have plans for the day. You can use my outlines which I left in the common room, but I'm not going to help either of you otherwise."

A very dejected looking Ron just shook his head. "What do you have to do that's more important?"

"Earth to Ron," George said as he swiped a hand in front of his brother's face. "She was busy snogging her boyfriend. Now run along."

Ron and Harry began to blush as they turned and walked back to the castle.

Hermione turned back to George and smiled. "Will you walk to Hogsmeade with me?"

"Of course. What do you need to get?" George asked as he relaxed and took her hand.

Hermione smiled up at him as she said, "Well, I was hoping you'd help me pick out a broom of my own. When you and Fred are gone next year, someone is going to need to take your place on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. I'm pretty comfortable on a broom now, and I think I would rather enjoy hitting Malfoy with bludgers. I'll need my own broom if I'm going to try out to be a Beater."

George's jaw dropped and Hermione cracked up. "You're not kidding, are you?" he asked. "Because I happen to find cute girls who play Quidditch to be _exceptionally_ attractive," he said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"No, I'm serious," she laughed. "Now, which broom do you like better: the Cleansweep Eleven or the Comet Two Ninety?"

They walked to Hogsmeade hand in hand while Hermione enjoyed the sound of George's voice as he explained the differences in the brooms.

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_The End!!!_

_Hermione and George are honestly so cute, I can hardly freakin' stand it! _

_I hope you enjoyed Takeoffs and Landings! Please leave me a review if you did... that way I may become more motivated to finish my Valentine story! Review, Review:)  
_


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